High Park Nutrition saw a gap in the market when it launched its online health and wellness store last September. "We noticed that a lot of companies had tried the national play," says George Papayiannis, company founder and president. "We ship across the country, but we really focus on Ontario, and the GTA in particular."
The local focus -- which Papayiannis says is based on the importance of trust when buying health products online -- is reflected in the company's web address, hpn.to, and in taking its name from the Toronto neighbourhood where Papayiannis lived when he launched the initiative. Today based in a warehouse in Brampton and employing three staff seven months after launching, the company is embarking on an aggressive growth strategy.
Key to those growth plans is a new mobile e-commerce store (
hpn.to/m), which the company claims is a Canadian first for a health and nutritional company. Based on observations that people were wary to place large orders when they were unfamiliar with the company, High Park Nutrition has also introduced a no-shipping-charge policy for all Ontario orders. It could lead to losses on many orders, but Papayiannis says he expects the move to build all-important customer trust.
Those initiatives introduced, the company will spend the next few quarters expanding its product offering from 1,500 to 10,000 items for sale, pursuing a
long-tail strategy that takes advantage of the web's diversity and relationships with local suppliers.
And if growth meets his expectations in the coming months, Papyiannis expects to be hiring soon. "I definitely hope to hire in the next six to 12 months. Things are hectic at the moment, and we'll need some help as we expand."
Author: Edward Keenan
Source: George Papayiannis, President, High Park Nutrition
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